Foot support



June 24, 1924. 1,498,566

L. D. NOBLE FOOT SUPPORT Filed March 51 1920 7 @i j @www Patented June24, 1924e ETE S T T15.

LESLIE D. NOBLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 NOBLE FOOT BALANCERCO.,

QF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FOOT SUPPO'RT.

Application led Marchl31, 1,920. Serial No. 370,103.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LESLIE D. NOBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Foot Supports, and declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to foot supports particularly for theuse ofpeople with fallen arches and the object of the invention is to providea foot support which may be placed on the insole of the shoe and whichis adapted to cause the foot to sup ort, on the outer .side thereof, theweight o the body. With this device the weight of the body is carried bythe ball and heel of the foot and the outer edge of the sole therebyremoving the weight and pressure from the arch of the foot so that thearch may return to its correct posif tion and grow naturally in thecorrect form.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, at the forward endof the device, a support for the metatarsus bones of the foot whichautomatically adjusts itself to support feet of different shapes therebyalso tending to aid greatly in the correction of foot deformities. Theseobjects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinaftermore fully described and claimed and the preferred form of the device,by which these objects are attained, is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which* Fig. l is a View of the device as positioned in ashoe, the shoe being indicated by dotted lines in `the said figure.

Fig. 2 is a full size view of the under side of the device.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fi 2.

ig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4of Fi 2.

`ig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

'Ihe foot support consists of a member l preferably made ofvleather andthicker at one edge than at the other as indicated in Fig. 5. As will beseen from Fig. 3 the leather is tapered so that it is quitethin at theforward end 2 and a protruding pad 3 is formed on the under side thereof`as indiv cated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

As is shown in Fig. 5, the device is much thicker' on the edge 4 thanthe edge 5 and is tapered throughout its width. device is positioned inthe shoe the supporting surface 6 is much higher at the edge 4 than theedge 5 thereby causing the weight of the body to be supported on4 theedge of the sole adjacent the edge 5, the ball and heel of the footsupporting the weight at both ends. By thus causing the weight to besupported on the outer edge and ball and heel of the foot, the archnaturally takes a position above the edge 4 thereby causing the arch ofthe foot to be normally positioned by the position of the foot itselfwithin the shoe, continuous use of the device strengthening the arch andtending to correct the deformities of the foot.

At the forward end and beneath the ball of the foot is the pad 3 whichtends to support the metatarsus bones of the foot, the leather at 2 and7 being of sufficient thinness to conform to the shape of the foot aboutthe ball and provide a support therefor. The leather which is thin at 2and 7 will be depressed to conform to the shape of the foot about theball so that the foot is not only supported by the member 3 but also bythe leather thereabout. This support of the metatarsus bones also aidsgreatly in the strengthening of fallen arches and correcting thedeformities of the foot.

The device is made up in two opposite forms, the one shown being madefor the left foot and one Opposite to that shown being made for theright foot. In use the two devices are placed one in each right and leftshoe as shown in Fig. l and in use the device will conform `to the shapeof the foot and form a support therefor thereby doing away with archsupports which when once used must be continuously used.

F rom the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device,while of a very simple nature and of low manufacturing cost, is of greatutility and accomplishes the object desired.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode ofoperation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States isl. A foot support comprising a member l/Vlien this Iformed of a single piece of material shaped to fit Within a boot or shoeand extendin` from the heel to a point forward oit the metatarsal bonesof the foot, the heel portion being` tapered in transverse section, Vthematerial 'being made thin for the purpose of securing flexibility from apoint at the rear of the metatarsal bones to the forward end of thesupport, there being an integral central pad atleast equal in thicknessto the thickest portion of the support on the under lside of the supportdirectly beneath the metatarsal bones.

2. A foot support comprising a leather member adapted to lit' Within aboot or shoe extendingv forwardly from the heel and terininating`beneath the metatarsal bones, and

a pad provided on the under side of the forward portion ofthe saidmember and having a Hat bearing surface, the leather about the padbeing` reduced in thickness to form a yieldable support for themetatarsal bones unsupported directly by the pad.

--In testimony whereof, l sign this specification.

LESLIE D, NOBLE.

